Seven years was quite enough. The Stade Français, next to its crampons since the start of the season, tightened the screws this Sunday evening on its Jean-Bouin lawn where it spent a seven-year period subjecting the law of Racing 92. Under the eyes of Gil Avérous , the Minister of Sports, Youth and Community Life, embarked on a tour across France to meet football, rugby and basketball supporters, and Florian Grill, the president of the Federation French, the Parisian club offered itself a clear revenge on its rival (40-24).
In front of a nice room too. Fourteen thousand spectators filled the stands, a rather interesting score on a Sunday evening, the day before school. Enough to galvanize a Parisian team, thirteenth in the Top 14 before this tenth day, forced to react to avoid spending the rest of the championship competing for the red lantern with the promoted Vannes. The start took place. Under the leadership of winger Lester Etien, author of the first two tries which launched his team (6th, 33rd), Laurent Labit’s players displayed a dynamism and a character that we have not often seen in them this season .
A match folded at half-time
The match was decided in one minute, just before returning to the locker room. At the time when Racing, deprived of its internationals from the XV of France Nolann Le Garrec, and Gaël Fickou and of Fiji Josua Tuisova, as well as its English fly-half Owen Farrell, operated on for pubalgia, began to find some space. The Parisians, who were deploring the absence of their fullback Léo Barré, who started during the Blues’ victory against Argentina (37-23) on Friday, stepped on the accelerator. Two large movements, executed at full speed and concluded by three-quarters Joe Marchant (39th) and Jérémy Ward (40th, 26-3) stunned Stuart Lancaster’s players.
Clumsy, imprecise and far too static, the Ciel et Blanc displayed worrying shortcomings at this point in the season. The Ile-de-France residents also missed numerous tackles, suffering from Parisian counterattacks. The rout almost turned into humiliation. At the height of that of December 24, 2022 when he was swept away (10-48) in his room at Paris La Défense Arena or that of April 24, 2010 at Jean-Bouin (41-17), the two biggest beatings suffered since the return of the Hauts-de-Seine club to the elite? Not quite because the Parisians were unable to keep the pace and conceded three tries in the last quarter of an hour.
“We missed everything this evening,” regrets Antoine Gibert, the racing opener. Lots of bad choices, defensive errors… This last quarter of an hour cannot reassure us, they gave up on top of that. We can’t settle for that in a derby. »
Stade Français still preserved its offensive bonus and will approach its trip to Bayonne next Sunday with a little more serenity. Here the Parisian club has moved up to 10th place, eight lengths from Vannes and four from Pau, in a play-off position for the descent into Pro D 2. Racing, for its part, is sailing in 8th place, only three units above. The reception of the Stade Toulouse, the leader, next Saturday in Créteil, risks giving a few cold sweats to the sky and white troop.
The points
Stade Français – Racing, 40-24
French Stadium: 6 tries Etien (6th, 33rd), Marchant (39th), Ward (40th), Jonas (58th), Dakuwaqa (60th), 5 Carbonel transformations (33rd, 39th, 40th, 58th, 60th).
Racing 92 : 3 Kaitu’u tries (65th, 70th), Woki (75th), 3 transformations D. Lancaster, 1 penalty D. Lancaster (18th).
Red card. Stade Français: Van der Mescht (73rd).
